The FIFA World Cup 2026 is underway, and today's group stage slate is already delivering the matchups worth staying up for. Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, Spain vs. Cabo Verde, Iran vs. New Zealand, and Belgium vs. Egypt are all on the card — and you don't need a cable subscription to watch any of them.
The tournament runs through July 19, with group stage games wrapping June 27 before knockout rounds begin. It's hosted across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States — the first three-nation World Cup in history, and one that's generated as much political noise as footballing excitement given the current US immigration climate.
Where to actually watch — and what it'll cost you
In the US, Fox holds broadcast rights to 70 games, including everything from the Round of 16 onward. FS1 carries an additional 34. Spanish-language coverage splits between Telemundo (92 games) and Universo (12), both under NBCUniversal.
Here's the streaming breakdown, without the fluff:
- Fox One — $20/month. The cleanest single-app option if Fox and FS1 are all you need.
- Sling Select — $30/month. Cheapest way to get both Fox and FS1 via a proper live TV service.
- Fubo — $45.99 for the first month, then $55.99. Serious sports streamer with a 7-day free trial — useful for the group stage.
- DirecTV MySports — $50/month for the first two months. Gets you Fox and FS1 without the full package price.
- YouTube TV Sports — $65/month. Cheaper than the standard $83 plan and still covers both channels.
- Peacock Premium — $10.99/month. Only relevant if you want Spanish-language coverage via Telemundo and Universo.
- Hulu Live — $90/month. The most expensive option, and adding Telemundo costs another $11.99 on top. Hard to justify.
Free trials are worth timing carefully. Fubo's 7-day trial and Hulu's 3-day window won't carry you through the tournament, but they'll cover a chunk of the group stage if you play it right.
Free options — and their limits
There are genuinely free ways to catch matches, just don't expect wall-to-wall coverage. FIFA+ will stream select games at no cost on their website. YouTube struck a deal with FIFA to broadcast the first 10 minutes of matches plus a handful of full games. Tubi — Fox's free streaming arm — is showing the June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa and June 12 US vs. Paraguay matches for free.
A VPN opens up more. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, France's TF1 Player, Ireland's RTÉ Player, and Spain's RTVE Play all offer free World Cup streams — accessible if you can connect through a server in the right country. Proton VPN and TunnelBear both have free tiers worth trying. VPN compatibility shifts without warning, but when it works, it works well.
Today's Group H opener between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay kicks off at 12 p.m. ET from Miami. Spain follow at 6 p.m. ET in Atlanta. Belgium vs. Egypt goes at 3 p.m. ET in Seattle, and Iran vs. New Zealand closes things out at 9 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. Four games, four different stories — and at least one of them should be genuinely unpredictable.
